MACHINERY AND MACHINE TOOLS

Worldwide sales of machine tools increased 5.4% to about $38 billion during 1996, the last year for which figures were available. Japan was the largest producer, with total production valued at $9.2 billion, followed by Germany ($7.8 billion), the United States ($4.9 billion), Italy ($3.8 billion), and Switzerland ($2.1 billion). Countries with at least $1 billion in production included Taiwan ($1.8 billion), China ($1.8 billion), United Kingdom ($1.3 billion), and South Korea ($1.2 billion).

Metal-cutting machine tools, such as milling machines, drill presses, and lathes, made up the bulk of the machines produced worldwide. In the United States they accounted for about $3.1 billion in shipments. Metal-forming machine tools, such as bending machines, shears, and punch presses, accounted for about $1.4 billion of U.S. production.

The U.S. solidified its position as the largest consumer of machine tools. Sales to the U.S. shot up 7.4%, to $7.2 billion. Germany placed second, with consumption valued at $4.5 billion, and was followed by China ($4 billion), Japan ($3.5 billion), Italy ($3 billion), South Korea ($2.5 billion), France ($1.5 billion), the U.K. ($1.4 billion), Canada ($1.3 billion), and Taiwan ($1.1 billion).

Manufacturers in the U.S. purchased nearly $4 billion in machine tools from other countries. Japan, the major exporter to the U.S., sent $1.8 billion in machinery, and Germany sent $530 million worth of machinery.

The total export market for U.S.-built machine tools grew by nearly 14% in 1996 compared with 1995, reaching a total of over $1.3 billion. The principal export market for U.S.-made machine tools was Canada, which received $320 million in machinery, followed by Mexico with more than $200 million, China with $110 million, and Brazil with $100 million. Exports accounted for 26% of total U. S. production.

Materials and Metals

Glass

It appeared in 1997 that between the years 1997 and 2007 the strongest growth within the glass-packaging industry would take place in India and China, where production could increase by over 160%. Production in China at that time would be far higher than in the two largest markets as of 1995--the U.S. (10.3 million metric tons) and Japan (10.2 million metric tons). Strong growth in South America was also forecast, as investment in new machinery and a substantial increase in end-user markets could lead to a near doubling in capacity. In Peru, for example, glass packaging for carbonated soft drinks increased by 180% between 1991 and 1996. By contrast, domestic demand for glass containers in Japan was likely to contract, as growth in the end-user sectors would remain slow because of increased competition from other packaging materials. In the U.S. demand remained static, as it had since 1990.

As predicted, growth in Eastern Europe remained strong, with Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic all expected to experience growth in excess of 22%, owing to strong end-user markets, primarily in the beer and soft-drink sectors. The potential for growth in glass packaging was massive in Russia--provided that the political and economic environment remained stable. In comparison, the rate of growth in Western Europe slowed considerably, totaling 6% in 1994, 4% in 1995, and just below 3% in 1996, owing to pressure from competition from other packaging materials. European container-glass producers were heavily involved in cross-border mergers and acquisitions in Western, Central, and Eastern Europe. Following the expansion of the European Union to 15 member states in 1995, the EU accounted for more than 96% of the total Western European production. In the EU container sector, capacity utilization was approximately 92% in 1996, and EU glass recycling was up 2%, just under 150,000 metric tons, from 1995. The total glass collected for recycling in the 17 countries was 7.6 million metric tons. Germany was the clear leader in terms of tonnage, with 2.8 million metric tons. Switzerland had the highest national recycling rate, with a record level of just under 90%, followed by The Netherlands with 81%.

By the year 2000 the countries of the Pacific Rim region should have a significant lead in the worldwide production of flat glass, mainly owing to continued development in the automotive and construction industries. China and India were also expected to experience strong growth. In Japan increased imports from surrounding neighbours signaled a relatively slow growth rate. Flat glass production in Eastern Europe was expected to remain attractive to Western investors as a result of its low cost. The completion of new float glass plants in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Iran would make the Middle East and North Africa self-sufficient in flat glass manufacture but would add to the global oversupply.

Business and Industry Review: Year In Review 1997. (2015). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/86280/Business-and-Industry-Review-Year-In-Review-1997/232048/MACHINERY-AND-MACHINE-TOOLS

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